My granddaughter is my world, and I wanted to be around to see her grow up.

Update: Lori passed away in 2020. It was her hope to inspire other Oklahomans to quit.

“Nana, you need to stop smoking those yucky cigarettes.”

I started smoking regularly when I was 16 because I thought it made me look more grown up and cool. Soon, I was doing it with everything, whether I was out walking or just watching TV. I smoked three to four packs per day. Recently, it got to the point where just walking across the living room left me gasping for my breath. I knew I had to go see a doctor, but I didn’t realize how seriously smoking hurt me. I was diagnosed with COPD, bronchitis and emphysema. I was three minutes away from being on a breathing tube.

The addiction of cigarette smoking is horrid. Every part of you is addicted to it — it’s all consuming.

I knew I would need help quitting. That’s where the Helpline came in. My granddaughter is my world, and I wanted to be around to see her grow up. I like playing with her and watching her run all over the place. The Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline was the reason my quitting was successful. My family is happy I quit, and I’m happy I’ll be around to watch my grandkids grow up.